April Newsletter - Nacogdoches/Livingston

​Her recent story began when she lost her job in California. (The office was closed displacing the entire staff of seasoned workers. To replace them the company opened a call center with entry-level 20-year-olds.) A very capable woman, she knew she would be able to get another job soon. Disappointment after disappoint came and soon she and her teenage son were becoming desperate. As she was familiar with Dallas, Texas (where she was born and raised), she decided she would try her luck there. They packed up their belongings and headed east on Interstate 10. They almost made it to El Paso before their car broke down. No one would stop so they spent that night in the car. The next day a man who could speak no English (and they did not speak Spanish) stopped and gave them a ride into El Paso.

They managed to get another vehicle and headed toward Dallas once again. Funny thing though, she somehow missed taking the Y to the left to get on I-20 (which would have taken her ENE to her desired destination). Instead, she continued ESE on I-10. She thought she was still headed to Dallas but when she saw the Houston skyline and realized she was way too far south, she comforted herself with the thought that she could take I-35 straight north to Dallas. As the exit approached, she was in the wrong lane and could not get over. No problem, she thought, I will just take the next highway north. That turned out to be HWY-59.

She reached Livingston and the car began to have problems. With help from a passer-by they managed to get her car into the Wal-Mart parking lot. They were out of money and unable to go any further. After fruitlessly trying to get assistance, she went into Wal-Mart and applied for a job. The very next day she went to work there—just to earn enough money to get established before possibly moving on to Dallas. She and her son secured a mobile home to rent and things were going well for them.

To paraphrase what the poet Robert Burns said in his poem “To a Mouse”, no matter how carefully we may plan something, there is still the possibility that something can go wrong. The truth of that thought became quite clear when she had a stroke and spent 27 days in hospitals. When she was released they went home to find that they had been evicted for failure to pay the rent on time. Into the car they went. A former co-worker told her about GODTEL and she and her son came to our Livingston shelter to eat a few times in early November, 2018. It was not until Thanksgiving Day that I found out they were living in their car. The son was too old for the women’s dorm and too young for the men’s dorm so we put them in the trailer we use for employee housing.

At this writing she is still on medical leave from her job but gradually improving. Her son, now 17, has completed his home-school high school and has begun college on-line. He and his mom  are willing to do whatever is asked of them. She put her computer training to good use for us by bringing one of our older office computers more up to date.

As you may know, our residents are required to attend two devotions/Bible studies daily so she and her son have been presented with a lot of God’s truths in the past four months. They both ask good questions about the various Bible-study topics as they arise. They also now recognize that a loving God brought them to GODTEL and they are grateful.

We are blessed to be a part of God’s solution to their need at this time and we thank you for your support which enables us to not only house, clothe, and feed those in need, but, more importantly, to share the Gospel and love of God with them.

Sorority Sisters Serve
 
The Phi U Sorority and Jennifer Newquist the Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies from SFA came the first Monday of March and prepared a meal from scratch: spaghetti with homemade sauce, garlic bread, and a fresh salad. They began work in the kitchen at 3:00 p.m. and seemed to enjoy the 2-1/2 hour process getting the meal ready. We most certainly enjoyed the meal and look forward to their promised return. Thank you, ladies.

Celebrating the Resurrection
 
April the 21st is the date of this year’s commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a glorious occasion, assuring us of His power to save and take us to Heaven! (If we will submit our lives to His control.)

~Nancy Gentry